Marion H. Jones

Marion H. Jones passed away on January 7, 2017, at the age of 86. She was surrounded by her three children – Brian, Mark and Karen – who were at her bedside. Marion was born in Bronx, NY, to Alfred and Frieda Hotzinger, who had emigrated together from Germany and raised their family on Long Island. Her parents and younger brother, Alfred, preceded Marion in death. After graduating from high school, Marion knew she wanted to devote her life to caring for others so she attended nursing school and became a registered nurse. She began her career at Methodist Hospital in New York before being granted a commission in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. She served her country full-time as a surgical and flight nurse and attained the rank of 1st lieutenant. Marion continued to work as a nurse after leaving the service to start her own family. Upon settling down in San Diego in 1967, she began a career at Sharp Memorial Hospital that spanned three decades. A true pioneer in cardiac medicine, Marion was one of the first in San Diego to achieve Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification and worked with the very first cardiac telemetry equipment at any hospital in the nation. Through the support and mentoring she provided to her coworkers, Marion’s legacy lives on – the foundational culture of professional care she helped to create, and the technical skills she mastered and instilled in others, continues to touch lives in an impactful way. She embodied unconditional love and support, was there without hesitation for her family and friends, and always greeted everyone with a warm and genuine smile. Marion enjoyed singing, reading, needlepoint, knitting, and making arts & crafts and decorations. In retirement, Marion discovered a love of watching golf, and closely followed the career of Phil Mickelson – with whom she shares a birthday. A celebration of Marion’s life was held on February 11 and a number of friends and coworkers from her extended Sharp family shared stories with us about their remembrances of our mom. Her remains were laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery on February 13 with full military honors and rifle salute. Marion was an amazing woman and she is deeply missed by all who knew her, especially her three children. We love you Mom, and hope to be with you again.